Hi,

I am after a bit of advice/help.

I received a PCN for parking on double yellow lines near St Mary's Hospital in Paddington whilst I dropped my wife off who was in labour. I was slightly longer than expected inside before I had a chance to come back down and move my car to a free parking bay a bit later that evening (none were available when I arrived and I had no choice but to stop near the entrance for obvious reasons).

I received the ticket at 19.24 on Sun 20 Sep 09 for parking on the double yellow. I explained the situation in my web appeal to the City of Westminster chaps and it was rejected. They say that double yellow means no parking or waiting at any time, according to the Westminster parking website you can park on double yellow for loading and unloading for as long as required on a Sunday and certainly between 6.30pm and 11am? It also states that:

Picking up and dropping off passengers

Drivers can stop temporarily on yellow
lines or in parking bays to pick up or
drop off passengers, but waiting for
passengers is not permitted. When
picking up or dropping off you must stay
with your vehicle at all times unless your
passengers need help getting into or
out of the vehicle.

Should I pay up within 14 days and go for the £60 or wait for the NtO and fight it at risk of £120 if rejected again. I don't know how strong my case is and if they are likley to listen or indeed willing to listen to mitigating circumstances (from their initial response it appears not). There was no other option on the response from the parking team apart from pay now or wait until an NtO is issued.

It also says on the Westminster website that the fine of £120 represents the seriousness of the offence. Is parking on a double yellow at 7pm on a Sunday night, not blocking any entrances or impeeding traffic flow a serious offence?

Yours truly frustrated, but with a great new daughter.

How long did you actually park for before you got the PCN?

Depends what you were doing inside while ''slightly longer''.

It isn't mitigation. Assisted alighting is an exemption by right.

-

read the patas case

Wanambwa -v- London Borough of Southwark

http://keycases.parkingandtrafficappeals.g...d%20version.pdf

passenger alighting where passenegr has special needs

City of Westminster always reject appeals as they're desperate for money, having lost £17,000,000 in Icelandic Banks and their Parking Dept. is facing a £10,000,000 'overspend' for this financial year.

I think the only way you could get this overturned is to go to PATAS.

You also shouldn't take too much notice of what their website says, as it's usually hopelessly out of date & only contains WCC's view of the Law which very often has little resemblance to what the Law actually says! The Councillor in charge of Parking is Cllr. Danny Chalkley who, IMO, is an arrogant t*** who cares very little for the people he is supposed to serve.

Thanks everyone, I think I will just pay up and shut to avoid the hassle - weak I know!